Falling Into Love
by Ani-maniac494
Summary: For some, there is love at first sight...for others, it just takes a while to admit it. Written as a group of snapshots. MA.


Spoilers: None in this one.

Disclaimer: I would love to own it, but I don't. I might have tried to clone Alec, but I refuse to disclose whether or not I was successful. ;)

A/N: I'm not entirely sure where this one came from, lol, but I found myself in the mood to write a romance. Someone once told me that they didn't think Max and Alec could ever just fall in love, but I personally think they could. Here's my attempt at showing just how that might happen. I know some incredibly talented authors have written fics similar to this, but hopefully my take on things is a little different. :)

A/N2: For anyone reading any of my WIPs, I promise they are on their way to being finished. :) I feel so bad for keeping everyone waiting, and I feel like I've left this note far more times than is fair to anyone who reads my fics, but life has honestly been crazy and writing simply hasn't come easily. But Lord willing, I'll be back to writing more again soon. Thank you so much for being so patient. :)

Many thanks to beldoc for letting me bounce some ideas off of her, to Nerian for her wonderful encouragement, and to my wonderful beta Darth Mom, the best beta I could ever ask for in a galaxy far, far away, and in any other. :)

I hope you enjoy this, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

**Falling Into Love**

Generally, Alec enjoyed being an X5. Having cat DNA came with a lot of perks…enhanced strength, heightened senses, that sort of thing. But, unfortunately, it also gave them a natural aversion to getting wet, which was why Alec was now cursing himself for planning a heist on what had turned out to be probably the rainiest day in Seattle history.

Learning to hold your breath for several minutes at a time, or using your skills as a swimmer in life and death situations was one thing…having to wait outside, on a rooftop, in the pouring rain, was another.

It also didn't help when you were waiting with a particularly volatile, female transgenic, who only enjoyed being soaked if said soak came in the form of a nice, hot bath.

"Idiot!" Max growled, furiously pushing a lock of wet hair out of her eyes.

Alec, just as happy about their situation as she was, turned to glare at her. "This is _not_ my fault!" he growled back.

"Everything is your fault!"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Right, Max, it's my fault because it's raining - _in_ _Seattle_!"

"No, it's your fault that we're here! You said this would be an easy job!"

"I told you I could do this alone! You're the one who insisted on coming with me!"

"Like I'm just gonna let you do something stupid, and get yourself caught!"

"Wow, Max, I'm so touched by your concern!" Alec said sarcastically.

But, despite his retort, a small corner of his mind had to admit…it felt kinda nice that Max worried about him. Not that he would ever tell _her_ that.

* * *

Logan wanted to see her tonight.

Max grimaced and took another sip of her beer.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see him…she did, really, she did. It was just that, since their real and _final_ break-up a few weeks before, things had been awkward. They'd decided to be friends, but even without the virus, Max had quickly realized that, outside of Eyes Only, they didn't have that much in common. She cared about him, always would, but things were just so strange between them at the moment…

Max sighed for what felt like the millionth time that night, and set her glass back down. She might as well get it over with. "I have to go."

Max stood, pushing back her chair and putting on her jacket. Alec looked up at her, his gaze skeptical.

"Right," his drawled, "your not-like-that-boyfriend wants to talk."

Max felt herself bristle. It didn't matter how many times she'd said it, Alec wouldn't believe that she and Logan weren't together anymore. "I told you, we broke up!"

Alec raised an eyebrow, obviously not convinced. "And this would be what, break-up number 367?"

"Logan wants me to do a favor for Eyes Only. That's all!"

"Oh, that's all, huh? I suppose Logan is just gonna send you out alone?"

"I don't need a babysitter, Alec!"

"Too bad. I'm coming with you!"

Max grit her teeth in irritation. "Fine!" she snarled.

"Fine!"

Alec stood, grabbing his own jacket with a little more force than necessary, and Max stalked off, heading straight for Crash's exit. She didn't need to check if Alec was following behind her. He was there, she knew. He was _always_ there.

But, annoying as he was…she did feel a little better knowing Alec would have her back - not that she would ever tell _him _that.

* * *

Alec felt rage building in his chest and tried to ignore it. After all, it didn't matter to him that Max was flirting with someone else…even if he couldn't help but notice the way her dark eyes sparkled when she smiled, the way the candles bathed her skin in a golden light, the shadows accenting her high cheek bones and beautiful features all the more…

No, it didn't matter at all.

Besides, they could barely stand each other. All they did was argue, and only Logan's insistence that Max would need back-up for the latest Eyes Only mission had convinced Alec to go along. After all, Max was Manticore, and she could take care of herself - never mind that he usually insisted on going along with her anyway. It wasn't as though he ever worried about her…

She wasn't even _his_ girl, he reminded himself. And anyway, _Logan_ had been the one that had sent them on this mission in the first place. He had even been the one to suggest that Max try to "get close" to their mark…

Alec paused, realizing what he had just mentally dubbed the crime boss whose organization Logan wanted to expose. That was a term he hadn't used in a long time…not since his days as an assassin, and for good reason. Though, now that he thought about it, he was beginning to plot the death of the man Max was flirting with…so maybe, "mark" fit after all.

His attention was drawn from his thoughts as Max laughed flirtatiously at something Mark, as Alec now thought of him, had just said. Thankfully, for this particular mission Alec was posing as Max's bodyguard, so his scowl probably went unnoticed, as did, hopefully, his relief when Max excused herself from the table.

"What took you so long?" Alec snapped.

Max glared in return. "It's called distracting him, Alec."

"You were practically all over the guy!"

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Max spun on her heel and stormed off, leaving Alec to follow silently behind.

Nope, it didn't bother him at all.

* * *

Max had always been proud of her self-control. Sure, most of the people who knew her would probably laugh at that, but hey, when you could rip someone limb from limb with your bare hands, only bruising them was a feat in itself. Now, though, it took every ounce of self-control Max possessed not to race across Crash and strangle the blonde who was currently flirting with Alec.

"You and Alec aren't, you know, together, are you?" the girl had asked a few minutes earlier.

"We're not like that," Max had replied automatically.

"Oh. Good."

The girl had smiled like the cat who'd just gotten the cream, and Max saw red.

An unconscious growl started low in her throat as she watched them from across the room now.

How dare she! That girl had no right to flirt with Alec! He was…

_Totally free and unattached, _a reasonable voice piped up in Max's mind.

Max blinked, realizing where her train of thought had been heading.

_Unattached. Right, _she agreed silently.

But still, it was just…tasteless to flirt that way. Yep, that was it. Tasteless. She was practically draped all over the guy, batting her eyes at him, giggling like a schoolgirl at everything he said.

It was ridiculous, really. It was a disgrace watching someone flirt so shamelessly. Anyone would find it hard to stomach.

That was all it was.

Max wasn't bothered in the least by someone flirting with Alec, it was just the _way_ the girl was flirting.

_Uh-huh. Just keep telling yourself that, _that annoyingly reasonable voice scoffed.

* * *

For whatever reason, whether it was sheer chance, or simply the fact that Normal thought his "Golden Boy" needed to keep an eye on "Missy-miss," Max found herself stuck going on runs with Alec more often than not. Today was no exception.

And like always, Alec was trouble.

Usually, that meant she had to bail him out of whatever mess he'd gotten mixed up in, but at the moment, it meant that she found herself, unbelievably, at the Seattle Street Fair.

She'd let herself be talked into going with him. It was ridiculous, pointless, and sure to be added to the ever-growing list of "Stupid things Alec has done."

But for a reason she didn't understand, she'd still come.

"What are we doing here?" Max demanded, glaring at him on principle alone.

He shook his head at her in mock-disappointment, but his eyes twinkled. "Aw, come on, Max, where's your sense of adventure?"

Max scoffed. "Sure, Alec, just what a couple of genetically engineered killing-machines need more of: adventure. Besides, remember work? That thing you avoid? Like the man said, 'These packages aren't going to sprout little feet, and deliver themselves.'"

Alec sighed in apparent exasperation. "Relax, would you? We've been doing runs all morning. We're due for a break anyway, and I'll talk to Normal if he asks where we were."

Max opened her mouth to argue, but…well, if it kept her from having to hear "Bip, bip, bip," for at least a couple hours, then _maybe_ she could suffer Alec's company. It had nothing at all to do with the hopeful, lost-little-boy look Alec gave her. Nothing at all.

"Fine," she growled at last. "But if I lose my job, you won't be able sit down for a month."

Alec grinned. "Deal."

It was funny, but sometimes Max forgot that Alec hadn't been out in the real world as long she had. He seemed to fit in _everywhere_, like the way he'd somehow managed to slip into her life as though he'd always belonged there.

But, there were times that his mask cracked, just a little bit.

Like now.

His gaze swept the fair as they walked, taking in all the sights and sounds with probably more enthusiasm and curiosity than you'd expect. She almost called him on it, too, until she realized that this was probably the first fair he'd ever been to.

It wasn't anything impressive - no rides, lousy food, and a jumbled collection of vendors to buy from and activities to try. The games were rigged, which didn't really surprise her - no honesty in a broken world.

But, strangely enough, people seemed like they were having fun, like they could forget for a little while that they _were_ living in a broken world where nothing worked and everything cost too much.

Though she hated to admit it, some of the stalls did look kind of interesting. There was one selling motorcycle parts, run by a scraggly looking biker. Max wondered vaguely if he had anything for a Ninja…

She wandered over to check it out.

"I don't believe it," Alec chuckled, drawing her attention from the part she had been studying.

She followed his gaze over to a make-shift booth that was set up on the corner, fraying see-trough fabric covering its plywood frame. The woman who sat on a metal folding-chair in front, wore a cheap gold robe, a crooked turban, large hoop earrings, and too much eye shadow. The bleached hair that hung around her shoulders looked teased to within an inch of its life, and rings decorated every finger.

"Come! Madam Zelda knows all!" the woman called in an obviously fake accent. "Allow Madam Zelda to tell your fortune! She knows the secrets of the universe!"

"This I've gotta hear," Alec smirked.

Max rolled her eyes, but followed him anyway.

When they reached the booth, the woman thrust out her hand expectantly, obviously not intending to divulge any of the "secrets of the universe" for free.

Alec dug out his wallet and handed her a few bills. The woman counted them carefully, checked their authenticity in the light, and pocketed them.

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the crystal ball in front of her - Max could tell it was actually plastic - and began humming.

Her head snapped up suddenly. "You!" she announced, pointing at Max, "I see you! You have been in love for a long time…you and…" She paused, looking at Alec appraisingly. "What's your name, sweet cheeks?"

"Alec."

"Right. You and Alec!" she continued dramatically, "Your fate is written in the stars! Together, you will have every happiness! You complete each other!"

Max felt her jaw drop in shock. "We…what?" she sputtered. "But…we're not…"

The woman huffed. "Look, I just call 'em like I see 'em, okay? Next!"

Max turned away stiffly, still trying to process the fortuneteller's words. It was a scam, she knew that, but…her and Alec? That…that wasn't possible…was it?

Max glanced over at Alec to see how he'd taken the woman's pronouncement, when she noticed his shoulders were shaking.

Wait…was he…_laughing_ at her?

He was, Max realized indignantly. The jerk was laughing at her!

"Shut up," Max snapped.

"Oh, that was so worth the twenty bucks!" Alec laughed again.

"I said shut up!" Max growled once more, smacking his shoulder hard for emphasis.

He shook his head at her in amusement, a rare, genuine smile lighting up his face, and Max glared at him.

But, as she prepared to tell him just what she would do if he didn't shut up in the next _three_ seconds, some part of her couldn't help thinking…he had a nice smile.

* * *

It had been totally spontaneous. Maybe it was just the adrenaline rush left over from a very dangerous but very successful mission, or maybe Max had somehow been replaced by her clone. Alec just knew that one minute, they'd been on their way back home, and the next, she'd turned to him with a wicked grin, and challenged, "Race you to the Space Needle."

She'd sped off, leaving him in her dust.

It hadn't taken long for him to catch onto the game, though, and now they were neck and neck, racing through the streets of Seattle, their enhanced reflexes allowing them to make impossible turns no ordinary could ever hope to match.

The city rushed past them as they pushed their bikes to the limit, rounding every corner at the same time.

Eventually, their race became an almost wild game of tag, one of them allowing the other to take the lead for a while, until they gunned their engine and raced ahead, daring the other to keep up.

Seattle became a blur as they moved, reveling in the feeling of freedom as they wove through traffic and drove down alleyways, dodging the puddles of water left by the most recent storm.

Finally, the base of the Needle came into view. Max braked and leapt off her bike, blurring into the building and up the steps, Alec right on her heels. They reached the top at the same time, tied, down to the second. Equals.

They grinned a each other in exhilaration, breathing lightly.

"Does this mean we have to do that again?" Alec asked.

Max shook her head at him, laughing, a genuine, happy laugh he'd never heard before, and Alec couldn't help thinking…it was a nice sound.

* * *

Crash was filled with the usual noise: the clinking of glasses, a steady beat playing from the speakers, laughter, and conversation. It was music to Max's ears.

It wasn't often that she got a night off, and she fully intended to enjoy it.

Unfortunately, OC wasn't able to enjoy it with her. She'd been battling a cold all day and hadn't felt up to partying. Sketchy, well, he had actually found a girl who'd smiled when he'd come up to her, and they'd been flirting at the bar for hours.

But like always, Alec had been there.

They had talked. Actually talked. They hadn't argued…alright, maybe they had, but why ruin a good thing? Besides, it hadn't been anything serious, and it had been…fun.

"My turn to buy," Max offered.

Alec nodded, and she grabbed the pitcher.

She felt his gaze following her as she walked, and when she reached the counter, she couldn't resist studying his reflection in the mirror behind the bar.

Alec was watching her. There was something in his eyes…something she hadn't seen before. A smile curved her lips at that.

* * *

The heist was going to be easy, Alec knew, probably one of the easiest they had pulled. But, getting into the building without problems meant they needed to do some research.

Logan had given them all the information he could find - the heist was for a good cause, after all - and they'd spent the night at Alec's apartment looking through everything.

Max was sitting on the floor, going over the blueprints, and Alec was sitting in front of the coffee table, reading the security schematics. He had read every page at least twice, and knew the guard rotation by heart. Figuring he had earned it, he finally tossed the papers aside, and leaned back on the couch.

His eyes were closed when the sensation of someone staring at him hit. He let his eyes flutter open and smiled at Max. She turned away quickly, making a comment about him being lazy, but he didn't miss the slight blush coloring her cheeks.

* * *

Max was tired, and her whole body ached. Riding on a motor cycle for nearly 36 hours straight was taxing, even by transgenic standards. For once, she wanted nothing but to collapse on the bed and drift off to sleep.

The room she was staying in was part of a run down hunting cabin. It wasn't much, but then again, rushing one of Logan's informants into Canada hadn't exactly allowed much time for planning ahead.

Still, the bed was surprisingly comfortable. Max could have lain there forever and been perfectly happy…that is, if Alec hadn't chosen that moment to interrupt her well-deserved rest.

"Maxie," he called.

She groaned in annoyance. "What?" she demanded.

"I want to show you something."

She forced her head up from the pillow to look at Alec incredulously. "And you need to show it to me _now?"_ she growled.

"Yep," he grinned. "Hurry up."

Her aching muscles protested as she pushed herself to her feet, and Max groaned again, glaring at Alec all the while. He was way too perky for someone who hadn't gotten any more rest than she had…but then again, _he_ had been in the car, keeping an eye on Logan's source.

"Come on," Alec said, surprising her by taking her hand.

Max sighed in exasperation. "Alec, it's the middle of the night."

"You don't sleep, Ms. Shark DNA."

"I don't sleep _much_," Max corrected. "But I need some once in a while - case in point."

He rolled his eyes at her, tugging at her hand insistently. "Just come on."

Grudgingly, she let him lead her outside the cabin and into the cool night air. He paused a few feet from the door, and she followed his gaze upwards, realizing with amazement that the sky was filled stars, all of the stars that were normally lost in the glare of Seattle's city lights.

"It…it's beautiful," Max said with a touch of awe.

She saw Alec smile at her, his hand tightening around hers briefly.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed softly.

* * *

The inside of the Space Needle had long-since seen better days. Graffiti covered nearly every surface, and broken bottles and crumpled paper were strewn all over the floor. The air was stale and smelled of dust and…pizza?

Alec paused, blinking in surprise.

Yep, that was definitely pizza. Pepperoni and sausage, if he was any judge. Pizza wasn't exactly something he came across very often, even with his connections. It was just one of the many things The Pulse had made a treat few spent money on.

Intrigued, he walked a bit further, searching for the source. He smiled when he spotted Max sitting on the ledge, her elbows resting easily on her knees, a large cardboard box next to her.

He slipped outside to join her, not bothering to announce his presence. They always knew when the other was near by.

He studied her profile for a moment, then glanced back down at the cardboard box. "What's this for?"

Max shrugged. "Just because."

"You decided we should have pizza on the Space Needle just because?"

"Girl's gotta eat, y'know." She looked back at him, a small smile touching her lips. "So, am I gonna hafta finish this all myself, or what?"

Alec's grinned as he moved to sit next to her. He snagged a piece and she rolled her eyes.

It was nice, Alec thought. The pizza was good, and the company even better. Though with two hungry X5s, the pizza didn't last long.

Max was reaching for the last piece, but he grabbed the box before she could, pulling it out of her reach, his eyes twinkling.

"Idiot," she murmured, but her tone wasn't scathing like it had been in the past…instead it was filled with something like affection.

It was funny, but Alec didn't exactly know what happened next. It wasn't as though he had a sudden epiphany, and no neon sign flashing, "Kiss her now!" appeared out of thin air, but it just…felt right.

He let his hands tangle in the dark locks of her hair, gently pulling her closer until their lips met.

The kiss wasn't hurried or desperate, but not tentative either. He felt Max's arms move up to wrap around his neck, one hand coming to rest over his barcode, and time seemed to stand still.

For once, there was no doomsday prophecy that Max was somehow supposed to stop, no familiars, no Manticore, no painful ghosts from the past…only them.

When they finally drew apart, and Alec wrapped his arms around her like she'd always belonged there, neither of them spoke.

They didn't need words to tell each other how they felt.

But, then again, Alec thought with a smile, maybe they never had.

**Fin**

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


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